Introduction: Flashing Origami Firefly
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About: Chibitronics is the evolution of Jie Qi’s PhD research at the MIT Media Lab. Exploring the intersection of technology and art, as well as her passion for papercraft, Jie focused her research on paper circuits,…
In this Instructable, author and educator Kathy Ceceri demonstrates a clever way to fold an origami firefly with a tail that actually lights up!
Hi, it’s Kathy Ceceri with another origami design. This time it’s a firefly that lights up the night with a Chibitronics White Fade Animating LED in its tail! Just pull or push its antennae to turn the flashing light on or off.
Supplies
- Chibitronics Conductive Fabric Tape
- Chibitronics Animating White Fade LED Stickers (heart shaped)
- Bearly Art Cubies ⅛” thick squares and strips
- 1 piece of regular copy paper in a color of your choice (for the firefly's Origami Crease Pattern & Circuit)
- 1 piece of card stock in a color of your choice (for the antennae-shaped Slider Switch Tab and Cover)
- Clear Tape (to insulate the circuit)
- Scissors
- Pen Knife
- (Optional) Bone folder
Step 1: Download Templates
To make it easier for origami beginners, I created a template to print on regular copy paper.
The sliding switch and cover get printed on heavier cardstock, with Bearly Art Cubies to hold them in place.
Step 2: Follow Along With the Video
Follow along with the video to see where the folds go, and to create the circuit with a sliding switch.
